Last week, I went out to our family prairie to pick up a pile of old steel fence posts. As I began loading the posts into my truck, I noticed a few deer mice scurrying for cover. Although the pile had only been there for a month or so, a group (family?) of mice had apparently taken up winter residence.
Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) at the Helzer family prairie.
I stopped loading posts and grabbed my camera. Then I started pulling posts off the small pile more carefully, so as not to smush any of the little creatures. As the pile shrank, the mice started running for cover one by one. Interestingly, as they scattered, the mice followed several fairly well defined paths that each ended at tiny mouse-sized tunnels. I wouldn’t have noticed the paths before I saw them used, but could definitely see them afterward. It’s always good to have an emergency plan, I guess.
A few of the mice paused in their escape just long enough that I could crouch slowly down and snag a photo or two of them before they continued their escape. I felt badly about taking apart their “nest” – I hope they found another place to live nearby. On the other hand, there are other residents of our prairie such as the red-tailed hawk and coyote families that need to eat too…
The Prairie Ecologist 